MDIA Participates In Scripps Innovation Challenge Kickoff on Sept. 21

The 5th Annual Scripps Innovation Challenge is set to host a Kickoff and Mingle event for this year’s competition in Schoonover Center, 4th floor from 5:30-7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21.

The Scripps Innovation Challenge offers Ohio University students, regardless of major, the opportunity to win prize money and other professional opportunities by presenting innovative solutions to real-world communication and media issues. Students select from a handful of “challenges” and, working in teams or individually, come up with a unique solution in the form of a product, tool, strategy or comparable idea.

The Challenge offers $18,000 in prizes. Ten first-round winners will receive $500 each and the right to compete as finalists. In the final round, there will be a $7,000 first prize, a $2,500 second prize and two $1,000 honorable mentions. In addition, there will be a diversity enhancement prize pool of $1,500 – an incentive for ideas that address underserved and underrepresented audiences.

The Kickoff and Mingle event begins at 5:30 p.m. and will feature food, raffle prizes, and a performance by Section 8. Kickoff speakers include Executive Coordinator Jean Marie Cackowski-Campbell and Greg Newton, interim associate dean for graduate studies, research, and creative activity. A mingling session will follow, in which students can explore the six different challenges, find teammates and ask questions.

The Scripps Innovation Challenge is open to all Ohio University students, both undergraduate and graduate. This year’s competition features a streamlined application process to make it easier than ever to enter.

The entry process will consist of three parts:

A three-page paper explaining the solution

A visual representation of the solution – either a short presentation slide deck (max 7 slides) or an infographic explaining the idea

A separate short explanation of how the solution is innovative - how it incorporates a new technology (an app is not a new technology!) or the application of knowledge from outside the fields of communication, media, and journalism.

In addition to being one of the nation’s premiere student innovation contests, the Scripps Innovation Challenge also offers a unique learning experience that has helped past participants build their resumes and land internships and jobs after graduation.

“The SIC was by far the most rewarding extra-curricular program that I was a part of,” said Leah Petrovich, BSJ ’13, a 2013 SIC participant who currently works at CrowdTap. “The skills I gained from the SIC were what resonated most with my employer, therefore, I truly believe my experience and success in the SIC is the reason I was offered the position. Everything I learned in the competition directly correlated to the type of work I am doing as a program manager at my company today."